Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 06/01/2025 The latest installment in the Team Awkward series follows sixth-grader Leah, whose military family has recently moved from South Korea. Though used to moving and leaving friends behind, Leah’s hopeful that this move may stick, largely because her Team Awkward friends have helped her find a sense of belonging. A challenge rears its head when Leah’s parents decide that she needs to balance her fiercely competitive academic streak—including in her extracurriculars—by joining the art club. Leah’s middle school rebellion? Ditching the art club for QuizBowl. With the lie grating on her and high hopes to be team captain, Leah’s actions slip past competitive and into harsh. When it really matters, can Leah look past winning to find what it takes to be a good leader and show her parents that QuizBowl is worth her time too? McCullough and Bybee bring another slice-of-life, middle-school tale to the table, and readers prone to overachievement will easily identify with Leah. Many will also appreciate seeing a military family centered, as this common lifestyle is not often portrayed in middle-grade novels. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.